National Liberal Party (Jakania)
Yellow | Seats1 Title = Senate | Seats1 = | Seats2 Title = Grand National Assembly | Seats2 = | Seats3 Title = Local Councillors | Seats3 = | Website = www.ulp.jk | politics = Politics of Jakania | political parties = Political parties in Jakania | elections = Elections in Jakania | }} The National Liberal Party (ULP) is a centre-right political party in Jakania. Originally an activist organization of free market proponents and opponents to the ideology of Pan-Majatran Socialism it was officially registered as a political party in July 4253. Since its inception the party has been one of the largest and most influential parties in Jakania, wielding immense power both nationally and regionally, especially in the eastern Governates. History Early history '']] During the instabilities of the 4230s and 40s Jakanian daily life was marked by the political and violent struggle between Nationalists and Pan-Majatrans. In this landscape a small group of ex-students from the University of Masul; Bülent Solak, Teme Uzun, Cihangir Demir and İsa Koç gathered at Demir's coffee house in Masul and formed the Gümüş Hurma (silver dates), an activist organization that would strive to support a peaceful exit from the Majatran Revolutionary Socialist Federation as well as a privatization of the economy. Over the next twenty years the organization would slowly grow, local branches opening across the major cities of Haftiye, Bukayar and Akadası. First election In the year before the election the party began a wide-spread and far reaching advertising campaign, helped largely by student organizations. Despite being a newly formed party they had candidates ready in every governate and volounteers ready to distribute ballots to the voters. The result was an overwhelming success in which the ULP seized 132 seats and became Jakania's biggest party. Even in the presidential election they gained much success, Bülent Solak narrowly losing to incumbent İsmet Bölükbaşı in the second round of voting. However the party's bid to become the unifying force of the Jakanian right failed as a loose coalition of independent conservative delegates ended up being elected too, only to fail to show up to debates and even voting, leaving a large section of the National Assembly effectively empty. In 4255 ULP successfully passed legislation that demanded the breaking up of the state's monopoly, opening up for the privatization industry and social services; a tremendous victory for the party. After the elections the current government was quickly shown to be weak and ineffective, and two years into the term a vote of no confidence toppled the current prime minister and opened up for a new coalition government headed by Solak. Though the odd and divisive coalition with the Republican People's Party and the monarchist Sofuoglu Party was controversial, the results spoke for themselves. With control of the government, the party has begun setting in motion the wide-spread economical reforms they had managed to pass through the assembly. 4250s and 60s For the election of 4258 the Center-Coalition is fielding a single candidate for the presidency, the goal of the coalition to finally bring an end to Jakania's membership in the Majatran Revolutionary Socialist Federation. After a massive victory in which the party took home 22,259,447 votes and nearly secured a majority in the Assembly (42%) Solak had a clear mandate to begin the leave process, dropping the monarchists from the coalition government. The 58-62 term turned out less eventful than the first on the domestic side but far more interesting internationally. With the Thallerite conquest of Kalopia Jakania found itself neighbouring a highly aggressive, tyrannical dictatorship where the Kalopian majority was subject to persecution and even slavery. It was now the divisions in a party that had been created as an umbrella organization for the anti-communist, anti-MRSF right wing began to truly show as factions within the party began pushing hard for their different views. The Liberal faction, allied with Hector Giorgakis Kalopian Wing was pressing the government to take a more open anti-Thallerite stance, making many public showings at the demonstrations held throughout the country. On the other end the most fiercely anti-communists wanted neutrality to Thaller, seeing him as a lesser evil to the MRSF that preceded him. These divisions, along with the coalition partners CHP rebranding themselves as the ultra nationalist Nationalist Movement Party and drawing away both voters and members from the ULP lead to a bad 4262 election. The citizens, tired of perceived inaction or upset at the policies implemented defected en masse to the other parties of the assembly. Even so the party remained the largest, holding nearly a third of the seats, and the coalition with the former CHP continued. As part of the coalition negotiations with the MHP, party chairman Bülent Solak did not seek another term as Prime Minister, instead running as the coalitions presidential candidate. Despite the fissures in the party his personal popularity gave him 28.5 million votes and secured him the presidency in the first round of voting. The second term of the coalition saw increased tensions and problems with cooperation. The two parties had been united against the MRSF and later Thallerite Kalopia, but with with the fall of both these threats the ideological differences between the two parties split them apart. Throughout 2168 and '69 the MHP would increasingly cooperate with the Sofuoglu Party to pass legislation past their unwilling coalition partners. The coalition still passed a legislative reform, reducing the numbers of Milletvekili in the Assembly to 500 and Senators to 150. 4270s For the election the MHP and ULP fielded separate candidates. Campaigning again on the liberal platform that had once propelled him into power, Solak still lost the presidential election to MHP's Celal Azizoğlu with a narrow margin. In the Assembly elections ULP made major gains, securing 46% of the seats and firmly establishing themselves as largest party. In a break from earlier elections they managed to be the favourite party in all five governates, securing a majority of seats in the newly reformed senate. Despite becoming the largest party the National Liberals were not invited to the new government which was formed as a coalition between left-wing parties, headed by the MHP. This loss of power after two decades lead to party chairman Bülent Solak's resignation, in the belief that the party was much needing new, younger leadership. In the 4272 leadership elections former mayor of Karadağ Gökhan Ekmekçi won the nomination without serious contest. A staunch nationalist, the party has abandoned Solak's pro-Istalian position in favour of one of non-alignment. Though the 4724 elections would see losses of seats in both houses Ekmekçi won the presidential election and negotiated a return to a coalition government with the Nationalist Movement Party. Before the end of this term the MHP once again restyled itself as the Justicialist Party and took a major shift towards authoritarianism. Conflicts between president Ekmekçi and prime minister Menderes eventually caused the dissolving of the coalition, with the ULP ministers resigning and Menderes continuing to rule on through decrees. 4280s Both the 4278 and 4280 elections saw a great loss of seats for the ULP, with the Grand National Assembly being increasingly dominated by new, left-wing parties including the Ahmadist Law and Prosperity Party (HRP). The repeated losses and increasing irrelevance of the National Liberal parties on the national state caused turmoil in the party ranks. Chairman Gökhan Ekmekçi resigned after the elections of '82 and in the ensuing party elections the Kalopian Wing leader Hector Giorgakis unexpectantly won. He announced that major changes were going to be made in order to make the ULP again relevant and guide Jakania into the next century. Ideology The party adheres to liberalism, especially economical liberalism, as their main focus lies on the dismantling of Jakania's communist economy through privatization and deregulation. In the post MRSF era it remains as the party for economic liberals, struggling to prevent left-wing opposition from reversing the privatization reforms. Election results Local elections Prominent members Party Leaders Presidents of Jakania * Bülent Solak (4262 — 4270) * Gökhan Ekmekçi (4274 — present) Prime Ministers of Jakania * Bülent Solak (4256 — 4262) Category:Political parties in Jakania